Furniture brace



I March 26, 1929. wlTTLlFF 1,706,431

FURNITURE BRACE Filed March 16, 1923 INVENTOR.

ay Q9644 ATTORNEYJ' Patented Mar. 26, 1929.

UNITED STATES] PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE H. WITTLIFF, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

FURNITURE Barron.

Application filed March 16, 1923. Serial No. 625,515.

connected by a turn-buckle and also of an improved bracing system forbeds, tables, and the like. One of the principal objects of theinvention is the provision of an improved and simplified type of yokemember and the provision of a bracing system employing such yoke lmemberwhich may be applicable to various pieces of .furniture, includingdifferent types of beds, without interference with ture, as will be moreparticularly described hereinafter. To the accomplishment of theforegoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the meanshereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the followingdescription set forth in detailcertain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed meansconstituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which theprinciple of the invention may be used.'

In said annexed drawing F ig. 1 is a plan view of a metal bed to whichthe present bracing system is applied; Fig. 2 isan enlarged plan View ofthe'yoke members and connecting "turnbuckle; Fig. 3 is a centralvertical section on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section on theline 4 4, in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a section on the-line 5-5 in Fig. 1; andFig. 6 is a perspective view showing the method of attachment of thebracing wires to the corner post of the bed shown in Fig. 1'; and Fig. 7is a plan view of a modified form of yoke member.

In Fig. 1 there is shown the frame of a bed consisting of end members 1,side rails 2 and posts 3. It will be understood that the particulartypeof bed here shown is merely to illustrate the application of my improvedbracing system and that the same may equally well be supplied to othertypes of beds, either metal or wooden, or to tables, chairs or similararticles of furniture. e

The present bracing system consists of a series of'cords or wiresextending between various points of the bed frame and all passing aroundone of two yoke members 4 and 5, which are provided with threaded shanks6 and are connected by a turnbuckle? for pulling the two yokes together,and in this the functions of the furni-.

way tightening the wires extending over them. vided with a V-shapedwire-receiving groove 8, shown in Figs. 3 and 4, in which the wires lieand in which they are retained between an upper flange 9 and the lowerbody portion 10 of the yoke. It will be evident from Fig. 2 that thewires are in engagement with theyoke memberfor aconsiderable distance,which tends to prevent movement of the wires over thesurface of theengaged portion, which is extremely desirable for reasons to beexplained herelnafter.

The braces consist of a wire 11 which is connected to the post 12 andthen leads about the yoke 4 and over to the more distant side rail 2 atthe point 13. There is a second brace consisting of a wire 15 leadingfrom the post 16 over the yoke 4 and to theopposite side rail 2 at thepoint 17 Another wire 18 is secured to the end l-of the bed frame andextends around the yoke 4. The other end of the bed is braced by meansof a wire 19 leading from the other two posts of the bed and around theyoke 5. A wire 18 leads from the other end rail 1 around the yoke 5 inthe same manner as the brace 18 already described. After the bracingwires have been attached and secured around the yokes 4 and 5they maybe'tensioned by adjustment of the turnbuckle 7, as will be readilyunderstood, and theentire frame can in this way be very securely bracedand made rigid, and any play, which is almost alwa s at the joints 20between the posts 3 and tie side rails 2 can be taken'up in this manner.

It is particularly important to eliminate this play in the joints inbeds. Whenever a bed is moved it is pulled or pushed either at the heador foot, and if there is any play be- Each ofthe yokes -4 and 5 is pro-.

tween that portion of the bed or side rails I and the'other end, thecasters on the other end will catch on the carpet and will often cut thecarpet before the lost motion in the connections is taken up and thatportion of the bed moves with the rest. a

In certain types of metal beds the springs are so close to the plane ofthe side rails 2 of the bed that the bracing system is necessarilysolocated that the depression of the springs will sometimes bring theminto contact with the yokes and turnbuckle. In order to allow full playfor the bed springs Ihave illustrated a desirable type of mounting forthe present bracing system for such coil springs 21 at the ends of eachof the wires 11, 15, 19, 18 and 18 between the ends of the wires and theattachment to the post 3 and may be made in different shapes tocorrespond to round, square and other forms of posts. The two ends ofthe strip 25 are placed between plates 26 and are secured thereto bymeans of a screw or bolt 27 passing through suitable registeringapertures in the plates and in the strip 25. The two plates 26' areprovided with L-shaped slots 28, into which the eyelets on the springs2l,'or, if springs 21 are not used, then loops on the ends of the wires,may be secured.

The bracing wires which lead to the side and end rails are secured. inthe manner shown in Fig. 5. The end and side rails of the bed areusually in the form of angles 29 and clamped to the horizontal portionof these angles are serrated strips 30 and 31, one of which (31) isprovided with a turnedup end or hook 32, which receives the eyelet 33 onthe spring 21.

The yokes shown in Figs. 2 and 3 are of a spread suitable for theapplication of the device longitudinally of the bed, as is shown inFig. 1. However, it may be found desirable to dispose the turn-buckleand its associated elements transversely of the bed, in which event itwould be foundthat the V-shaped wire-receiving grooves of the yokeswould not be of the proper angle to engage the wires and hold them innon-slipping relation. Through the medium of the modified yoke 41, theangle of the V-shaped portions may be adjusted as desired. In this formof the device the side members 42 of the yoke are connected to the basemember 43 by pivot pins 4 1. Adjacent the outer ends of the side membersrotatable studs are mounted within which transversely extendingscrew-threaded apertures are provided to receive the oppositely threadedsections of an adjusting screw 46. Thus the spread of the V-shaped yokescan be adapted for use in either a longitudinal or transverse positionwith respect to the article to which it is applied, and suitablesupporting contact with the wires maybe maintained whether the'terninals of said wires are disposed at closely adjacent or-widely spacedpoints.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may beemployedinstead of the one explained, change being made as re-' gards themechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of. thefollowing claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as myinvention 1. In a-bracing system for furniture, the combination ofan'arti-cle of furniture provided with four spaced supports andconnecting members therebetween, a cable ad JILStlIlflj means, a cableextending from one support over said adjusting means to a point 2intermediate the ends of one oppositely disposed connecting member, asecond cable extending from a second adjacent support over saidadjustingmeans to a point intermediate the ends of a second connectingmember oppositely disposed with respect to said second support, a thirdcable extending between the other two of said four'supports and oversaid adjusting means, and a cable connecting each end of said adjustingmeans with the adjacent end connecting members of said article offurniture.

2. In a bracing system for furniture the combination of a plurality ofsupports and connecting frame members with a plurality of connectingcables for applying tension thereto, of a tensioning member having acentral; member and a pair of yokes, said yokes being formed with a bodyportion terminating in a screw-threaded shank at one end and forming. abase for a flanged V-shaped cable engaging portion having pivoted sidemembers, at its opposite end to provide an offset diverging groove forsaid cables, and means for adjusting the an gular position of saidmembers.

Signed by me, this 7th day of March, 1923.

THEODORE ,H. WITTLIFF.

